A lot is being made of Jack Wilshere’s sending off for the under 23’s last night, unsurprisingly so I guess, as that’s our English media for you. They’ve even trolled Twitter in order to rehash some of the Arsenal fans negative reactions. Again, that’s what they do after all, why write something positive about a 4-3 victory over money bags Man City when they can brush over that and lay into Jack. Unlike just a few years ago when they were bigging him up to be the next England captain. Credit to The Mail though, they did write that the game was a good one and Jack played well. Hard to believe I know, The Mail, not Jack playing well.
Reacting to bad tackle was silly but you know what, I get it. We all have a breaking point don’t we? It’s a bit like being bullied at school day after day, week after week then one day, you snap. You’ve had enough of not only the rough treatment, but those around in a position of authority doing bugger all about your complaints.
Jack Wilshere, love or loathe him, has been kicked to pieces during his football life and regardless of how he plays the game, he’s had very little protection from referees. That’s not me trying to suggest he deserves some kind of looking after or mollycoddling, or to be treated differently to anyone else, just be fair and honest.
How often after a game has finished are we left discussing the amount of times Alexis has been on the end of an unfair challenge? Ramsey too, especially after he returned from his long term injury thanks to that thug in Stoke? Diaby’s career with us, one which promised so much, was ruined by Dan Smith. Eduardo’s too was ruined by a bad tackle. Reyes, well the Neville sisters made his life in north London hell and Bobby Pires had a first tough season too, so much so, he wondered if he could take it. He did and learned quickly but the others listed weren’t quite so lucky. Although Ramsey soldiers on, the odd sneaky late one goes in on him too, especially up north. Matthieu Debuchy is another and that push into the hoardings by Arnautovic, dislocating his shoulder in the process meant his season was over and as it turned out, his Arsenal career too as he’s suffered injuries ever since. Not related I hasten to add.
Last night, Jack was getting more time on the football pitch, time which would perhaps mean his first team return was close but yet again, he was targeted and the referee failed to intervene. After 63 minutes, he’d had enough. He reacted, perhaps because it was one tackle too many, perhaps also because for just a split second he feared that yet again he was going to end up being out of the game for a long time when a return to the first team was so close.
He will be out, but only for the under 23’s and for once injury won’t be the cause but the good news is that his ban doesn’t extend to the first team although whether he remains in Wengers plans is anyone’s guess.
Aside from that little incident, Eddie and Reid’s Nelson continued their fine form with two goals each. Now there are two players who Wenger can’t ignore and neither will the next manager….
See, I told you the future is bright, but we’ve just got to wait a while…
Transfer gossip, which thankfully will very soon come to an end for a few months, Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall have gone out on loan for the season with Birmingham and Ismael Bennacer has left for good. Jon Toral is reported to be on the verge of a move to Hull City and young Marcus McGuane, who is wanted by many top clubs could end up leaving for nothing as he’s out of contract next summer.
As for those coming in, well there’s nothing, although suggestion is that Thomas Lemar could still leave Monaco. Whether or not that means we’ll finally get him I don’t know but with other clubs now showing interest, I doubt it. Still, there’s always Mahrez to fall back on…. 🙂
Have a good day guys, summer is soon to return apparently…
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I have amended the post a bit, writing on an iPad is not ideal as it jumps to conclusions when typing…
Great post, Rico.
Shame the incident that inspired it wasn’t great for Jack, but I’m with you-people can only take so much, and our lads “take” more than most.
Some of our guys have been at the wrong end of absolutely horrific challenges, and we’ve also had some very, very near misses.
Yaya Toure nearly chopped Diaby in half 4-5 years back, and Gary Cahill did everything he could to snap Alexis’ leg around 2 years ago-both without any form of penalty.
We are pretty much open season and the weekend once again showed we rarely get a fair deal with the officials.
Well done, Rico!!!!
Quite why we are trying to shift all the deadwood with 10 days left in the transfer window is beyond me. They should be long gone. We seem to have a total inability to manage our squad, contracts or get signings in quickly. We must be a nightmare club to deal with!
Thank you Scott!!!!!
Well said Stewart, you are not alone in your view. This clearout is long overdue and not for the first time..
Good post – familiar outcome! Understand Jack’s reaction – he has watched his career nosedive through injury and as we rarely if ever get protection…
Unreal to think that had we retained Eduardo, Diaby and a fit Ramsey over the years we would almost certainly have been Champions a couple more times. Unfortunately, as an Arsenal player you know that there is minimal respect and zero protection. I’m certain that Mustafi, Giroud, Ozil and new boy Lacazette are all stunned by the treatment of our team by both officials and the media since their transitions.
Glad to see you’ve embraced the ‘new technology’ by acquiring an iPad. They are marvellous things except when they think they know better than you and replace a word in a sentence and substitute it with some other word that makes you look as though you’ve had a labotomy?
Anyway, a good post, as always. Jack’s return to full action and commitment is probably a good thing. If he can rediscover his form, style and technique he could prove to be a vital cog in Arsene’s well oiled tactical machine?
As for the overpaid limpets who are not even good enough to be considered ‘squad players’ anymore, the club should just sideline them, oh they have, already. Ah well, we’ll just have to keep feeding them, not playing them and then letting them go when the time comes. The whole situation of the contracts is rather like watching Fred Karno’s circus. It’s shocking.
Morning all. Grey here but warm.
I bet they are Db. The officiating here in England is shocking…
Ha ha Wavy, don’t forget the return of Jack could save Wenger some pennies…
More arsed about faced actions, surely you get shot of the dead wood, sort out the contracts of the players nearing termination then buy new players??
Not aboard the good ship Arsenal.
What a fucking joke Wenger is….
Or sort the contracts out, sign new players and then tell the rest to find another club…
Either way it’s shoddy behaviour from a club we were told were going to compete with the likes of Bayern by now…
Kroenke is not interested at all with competing with Bayern, Citeh etc. He’s just happy to watch the money roll in from tickets, TV and sponsors. New signings signal intent, but changes only happen if you choose them to. We are all well versed as Arsenal fans in empty promises, so there shouldn’t be any tears when it all goes tits up again 🙂
Perhaps once Wenger goes we might start competing with the big clubs. Starting each season with a strong squad would help rather than one which always seems to be two players short…
Rico and Brudder. It is looking as if we are going to have to wait a while to see what Arsenal are capable of. The whole football industry seems to have become in insatiable machine that swallows as much money as it brings in yet is still hungry. Unless Arsenal are really going to push the boat out financially then I can’t see where the club is heading except toward mediocrity. Wenger has redefined that term for me but this season is really his. He has ignored so much stuff, like contracts and squad deficiencies, that I can only believe that he is either hoping it all somehow goes away or that he is seriously deluded. I can see no defence for where he has left the club just as I can see no plan either on or off the field. He isn’t bringing many successful young players through and yet the youth set-up must cost millions. He is constantly buying flakes and ‘almost’ players and plays them in positions that are not working. He seldom gets the best out of any player and manages to find lame excuses for his failure to compete at the top level with alarming regularity. His latest uttering about us being top heavy squad-wise really irked. He has made absolutely sure that this is his squad and that makes it entirely his responsibility.
Blaming Kroenke for being a businessman is like blaming a Leopard for having spots. It’s dumb.
Yes Adam, but if a company is being run badly, you change the management – irrespective of what level they are at. Kroenke is responsible because he has the final say, and yes, he is happy with the money and how well his business is doing, but this is a football club. Retaining Wenger is good ‘business’ for Kroenke, but our business is football. Ultimately, to maintain the status quo as a football team, Kroenke and his penny-pinching management team must go. After all of the promises to spend big and make swathing changes, we have in fact only spent appx £26m after recouping sales money from deadwood. Something stinks.
DB10. That is not the way I understand the club is being run so we’ll have to agree to differ on that.
Adam, you know which I think he is… 😉
Either that or he knows he’s off next summer and doesn’t give a toss….
I know I sound like a broken record but other than not sacking Wenger, or at least not giving him a new contract in the summer, I can’t really see what he’s doing wrong. There’s other stuff he does which doesn’t sit at all well with me, but much of that isn’t Arsenal related.
I guess not stepping in and taking back a bit of control would be best, or certainly employ someone to do that as what can the Septic really do from so far away and in a different time zone but when Kroenke bought his shares, didn’t Wenger already hold the power…
I think I do Rico. 🙂
You may be right though and this could be a frightful season ahead for him. Painful for everyone.
It’s what he leaves behind though that will be a huge influence on what happened after he leaves. There will be a few surprises along the way too I would think.
Adam – the beauty of this blog – able to have conversations and differences without getting personal. Agree with lots of what you say, and Rico. Shame is, we all want what is best for our club, but the people with the power don’t seem able, or willing to accommodate.
Adam, whoever comes in next will have a massive job on their hands. An expensive one too as a rebuild bigger than Utd’s could be on the cards…
Still, at least then Ivan might get to earn his money… 😉
Rico, Stan didn’t sack Wenger,
and then extended his contract.
Most think Wenger is not doing an adequate job.
What more could he really do wrong?
Rico. It will depend perhaps on the calibre of the new manager. You saw, at Spurs, how Pochettino changed the culture and got results even though his buys have been pretty poor. We are going to need a progressive, defensively-aware bloke with a plan.
That was the one thing I hoped to set out to achieve Db. Too many other sites out there allow abuse to be flung at each other yet mostly, all we want is the same thing. I couldn’t care less if AKB’s or whatever they’ve labelled come on here but seldom do they do so with a reasoned argument as to why Wenger should stay, instead they’ll leave one abusive comment and then bugger off.
I actually don’t think there’s any one person at Arsenal who can escape a portion of criticism or blame but the biggest lump of blame is all Arsene’s because he’s the man who controls most things, if not everything related to the game the team plays and who plays it.
Stan can’t take any blame for that and neither can anyone else….
DB10. Completely agree with you on that. 🙂
Didn’t I just say that Scott?
Adam, isn’t sad to think that club have showed how to change things by simply getting the right man at the helm in Poch?
Mind you, I think they may have review their contract payments… 😉
I agree too re the next guy and I’m sure Ivan would too and I guess it will his job to find him..
Kind of 🙂
Stan, you had one job.
He didn’t do anything else wrong but then, he didn’t do anything else lol
I’m not sure I get what you’re on about…
Afternoon Rico and All
Why would stan the man sack the
meal ticket..Great business for the syrup.
Liquid gold flowing across the pond.
Wish I could have found an Arsene to run
my old business.
Arsene has made more millionaires than the
lottery,all through our club.
Anyway back to football,
No change,no D.O.F anyone seen Gazza.
Jack showed more bollox than the cartload
of wanna be’s,sitting on wads we pay them
sorry Arsene pays them.
Rico, we need an owner who cares, and gets involved.
I’ve said all along Stan is an investor so nobody should be surprised at him putting profits above onfield results, but, imo, that mindset and culture flows down through the ranks.
He might not be to blame, but he’s certainly responsible, imo.
I am pleased JW is playing again. He would do well with Coquelin as a midfield pair. That said, our problem is Wenger. Ramsey and Ozil are both meant to be playing the same position. When you have them both on the pitch, they disrupt the team’s balance, because both are defensively poor. I personally know Arsene Wenger can never win the league, ever again, except the curse of Leicester happens again, when other top 6 teams implode. For those clamoring for more signings, Wenger will waste his new signings, if he cannot use his squad properly. So why bother?
He has Chambers, Mertesacker and Holding in the squad, he sold Gabriel a day earlier, yet he played 2 LB’s at CB. Is that the man you want to trust Lemar or Seri with ? A man who removed Xhaka & Lacazette, and brought on Iwobi and Walcott
Secondly, why wont he play the OX as our RF, instead playing Ozil there, the OX would dribble into the 18 yard box and make a good final pass, instead he plays Ozil who will wander into oblivion at times. Line the OX and Bellerin on the right, Alexis and Sead on the left and you have a fantastic combination, on both wings. Sadly, I am inclined to believe age is catching up with Arsene Wenger’s objectivity.
Afternoon Fred.
Until we have a manager in who demands some money for transfers, do we really know what kind of an owner he is?
Listening to other board members speak, there’s clearly plenty available to Wenger but he alone chooses not to spend it. I think he’s forgotten how to..
Apart from Chelsea, which other club has that though Scott?
You must have skipped my last comment where I suggested they all can take a bit of blame, but as far as the football goes, only one man is responsible and I long for the day when he packs his bags and buggers off.
lari3 – welcome.
The team selection for Stoke was the most bizarre yet, as were the subs. But so typical of the man.
Agree Rico – Arsene has way too much power. Accountability? Whose door does it land at?
Saw JW highlights – if he’d been a Utd player the spin would be ‘look at his grit and determination’ instead it is centred around, yet again, getting over personal with an Arsenal player and making a mountain …
Thanks Rico.
DB10 I agree with you, I would have JW’s aggression in our first team in a heartbeat, I can understand that the media seem intent on downplaying his resurgence.
I didn’t skip it, Rico-not sure what makes you think that.
I’d say plenty of clubs have owners that care and aren’t purely investors.
We happen to have the worst of the lot.
If Jack can get a good run of games, he’d be one of our first selected.
Let’s hope he does.
Db, there’s another problem, who is asking him what the heck he’s doing?
Perhaps someone has but he’s such a control freak he takes little notice. That’s why I think Ivan made his comment public, perhaps he is trying to demand change but Wenger is taking little notice… I’d bet that had Ivan and possibly Sir Chips had their way, a DOF would have been in the door..
I suspect Kroenke cares Scott, just because he’s not jumping up and down on the sidelines, doesn’t mean he doesn’t care. His caring though is in a different way to Arsenal fans but I doubt he’d want the club to be losing money, around £150 million that it will do if all three of Ozil, Alexis and Ox walk away next summer.
Not sure Jack will ever be the first player on Wenger’s team sheet. In fact rumour is he too could be off before the TW shuts.
As an investor, he cares about profits and that’s totally understandable.
He should never have let near the club, imo.
Jack possibly leaving?
Any idea where to?
On the DOF, we desperately need one and dare I say it, Arsene needs one even more, in spite of what he thinks and says.
What Stan Kroenke cares about his the spreadsheet, how much comes in, that’s why he renewed Arsene’s contract,and Arsene wants to hold onto Sanchez, so that he can get back into the premier league, bottom line more money.
Rico. Whenever owners get involved with on-the-pitch matters it inevitably ends in tears. I doubt that Mansour offers much footballing advice to Pep or that the Glazers have interfered with Mourinho. I agree that owners can demand success but the management structures they put in place are costly so perhaps they have a right to let people do their jobs. As for Levy? Well, he tried for years to guide Spurs toward success but it’s only since they got a good manager in that it reaped any success. The manager must have the power but, these days, some help is certainly required.
We are simply not getting the best out of the players we have and are ill-equipped tactically for a PL season. It smacks of abysmal planning to me. With a week or so to go in the TW we seem all at sea personnel-wise when, after last season, Arsenal should have a plan and a time-scale to achieve them. We are at the mercy of other clubs where transfers are concerned though so it’s not easy.
Inter want him according to the rumours.. Or AC, can’t remember.
Rico, would he be suited in Italy?
A little less physical-could work for him, to be honest.
lari3
Not as much money as Stan would get if he sold the three players out of contact next summer. If Kroenke was about money only, then all three would have been sold by now for in excess of £100m..
Those who blame Kroenke, can’t have it both ways imo.
Adam. I agree.
Wenger certainly has control over all things football related and he’s royally cocking it up, more so this summer and the season so far, than ever before.
No idea Scott, depends on how fragile his body is.
TW isn’t closed yet, so we aren’t really sure if these guys will be sold, let to go on a free or whether they’ll extend.
Such fun at this time year lol.
Afternoon All
I don’t blame Jack for reacting, I think your post pretty much hit the spot Rico.
As for the Press, who cares!
On the plus side Nelson and Ntekiah shared 4 goals against a strong and it seems physical Man City team. Good preparation for the UEFA Cup.
McGuane is a bit of a worry as this lad has come on a lot in the last 18 months.
Juve and Man City linked with him tells you that he is a good prospect.
But contracts are an ongoing issue, not just with Arsenal, both Man City and Chelsea have had issues tying down youth players. It’s dog eat dog out there, with greedy parents and agents keen to have their slice of the pie.
Afternoon Kev. Me neither, he should have planted one on the guys nose. If he’s to be sent off, make it worth it.. 😉
Did you see Toral is on the verge of a Hull move, permanent I think…
Ivan and Chips would have a DOF in for certain Rico – problem is that AW and Ivan fell out big time over the Perez transfer, hence why he’s never played. He certainly is a control freak, and my worry is the last time that happened to a ‘big club’ they fell and kept on falling because Mr Clough had ultimate power and made very strange decisions that at the time were never questioned.
I’m still not convinced Perez was an Ivan signing though Db. Can’t see Wenger allowing such things…
If things stay as they are or get worse though, the fans will turn and Wenger will get the sack imo…
I’d rather Perez stayed and Wenger fucked off……
Wenger has to be one of the most reactionary managers of all time, his failing to plan is planning to fail. Still whoopee we may win another FA cup!! ?
So would I Lee, 100%
Evening all and thanks Rico for another fine post.
As my in game comments last night, Jack was a class above…..so were Eddie and Reiss……….and Diaz !…………………..Kev` was saying earlier that even Chavs and City were having trouble holding on to youth players……………………………City rumoured to have problems with Jaden Sancho and even the afore mentioned Diaz !………………..both are extremely talented players and would probably get a better chance of 1st team football at our club than City, although they are probably being enticed to stay with wages normally served to 1st team players at lesser clubs !…….they may languish in the reseves for years or loaned out, but be on great money, as we know City buy already made players and the £100M`s they have spent on their academy has yet to bring in a regular 1st teamer…….only one and he has been sold !
I thought Jack lost his head and had a worse tackle on him earlier on the dreaded ankle and thought…..here we go again !……………….the hand bags carried into the tunnel afterwards !
Transfers !…………………….I still think our business is done as Wenger is starting to make the usual excuses, although I disagree that this is his worse cock up summer !……………………….getting only Cech was worse !
Thanks Lc.
Good to hear that about Jack and others too. But I reckon Jack could be soon gone…
Lee
Plan?
The Arsenal plan is to make sure the shareholders get maximum dividends, while keeping the rumblings of the fans (the natives) at bay (i.e let them have an F A Cup every now & then). The Arsenal is a 21st Century version of an East India Company, if you like.
Stan has his commercial interests spread across the globe, & Arsene Wenger is his Viceroy for North London 🙂
Lovely analogue Gg, east India company, truly evil, selfish and self aggrandising. Would stop at nothing to make their profit. Death, depravity and even murder…what more can you say? Kronke has a model!
Viceroy, mmm, Mountbatten comes to mind. Publicly a top chap, in reality a bit duplicitous, I believe.
So, we’re left with a pretty dodgy bunch, aren’t we?!….,!!
They certainly appear to have ulterior motives Wavy 🙂
So, it seems that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has told Wenger in a face to face discussion, that he won’t sign a new contract.
That’s according to the Sage of the Mirror, the one and only John ‘Who Knows Fcuk All’ Cross…
Face to face eh? How is John Cross so sure? Was he there?
Frankly I wish Arsenal would just sell the overrated shit.
The reason he’s playing wing back is because he’s useless in attacking midfield, useless on the wing and useless in the Cazorla role. He is the guy you go to when the first choice guy is injured. He is only playing now because Wenger fcuked up and is desperate to keep him.
If he signed he’d be right back on the subs bench.
And what if he went to Chelsea?
Well he’d be, what, a wing back, the fcuking idiot.
A wealthy wing back yes, but a wing back all the same. Plank…
And what if he went to Liverpool?
Well he wouldn’t be Stevie G would he?
If he could play like Stevie G he’d be a regular in the Arsenal team. Bellend…
Sell him and put the dosh towards signing Draxler ffs…
I see that Southampton have signed, or are in the process of signing, a centre-half…
Does that mean that the big Dutch defender, what’s his name, Dick Van Dyke?
Is going to be sold, for what, £60million…
Well forget it Gooners, Wenger ain’t spending £60m on a defender…
I mean, he won’t spend £60m on a striker.
Kieran Gibbs of Istanbul…?
Yes, he’s off to the land of mangals, Galatasaray to be exact.
I did read what his wages will be, might be, could be, who fcuking knows?
But no mention of a fee, not yet…
From the BBC;
The EFL Cup third-round draw will take place in Beijing, China on Thursday – at 04:15 BST.
The seven Premier League sides playing in Europe this season, including EFL Cup holders Manchester United, will be among the 32 clubs in the draw…
I’ll probably sit up for it…
Night All
Morning Kev and all.
Spot on re Cross. Just as you probably are about the rest…
Great times to be an Arsenal fan eh…. pfff!
Morning all.
Ox really is a peripheral player.
The talent is there to be anything, but as we know, it takes more.
Whoever he goes, he will be either benched, or let go within a season or two.
He’s good, but he isn’t that good.
Great comment, Kev.
I think a Kev is right about Ox, and that is if he signs a new contract, he’ll be back on the bench. Another form of control I guess.. mind you, I don’t think he’ll sign it.
New post up.